NewsletterBathurst u3a

term 2 | 4 mAY - 26 JUNe 2020

TERM 2 CLASSES ARE CANCELLED

To the Bathurst U3A membership, thank you for appointing and supporting me to the position of President. I would like to acknowledge our outgoing President and Secretary, Lindsay Cox and Lorraine Ryan for their tireless efforts on behalf of Bathurst U3A.The new committee and I will endeavour to keep things turning over in these uncertain times.In the first week we have already made a number of decisions in line with Government Policy. All Term 2 Courses are cancelled. Some Facilitators have arranged online and telephone/video conferencing, these systems are fine, but no face to face courses are to be undertaken.The conducting of Courses in Term 3 will depend on the spread of Covid 19. Please all stay safe, wash or sanitise hands frequently, keep to the social distancing rules.Looking forward to resuming U3A activities in the not too distant future.Irene HancockPresident Bathurst U3A

www.bathurst.u3anet.org.au

Newsletter - Term 2 Mail Out 24 AprilNewsletter - Term 3 Mail Out 20 JulyCommittee Meeting 5 MayCommittee Meeting 2 JuneCommittee Meeting 7 July

PLEASE NOTE: TErm 2 CLASSES ArE CANCELLED

Do You Have Skills You Would Like to Pass on to Others?Bathurst U3A is always on the look-out for people over 50to be Facilitators (Teachers/Tutors) who are willing to sharetheir knowledge and skills with others who are over 50.

If you are prepared to donate your time and expertiseon a voluntary basis to join with other facilitators atthe Bathurst U3A we would love to hear from you.Bathurst U3A endeavours to keep the programof activities vibrant and interesting.

To do this we rely on our valued facilitators.

If you are interested please contact:The Secretary • secretary@bathurstu3a.com • Mob: 0422 829 921

Please be assured we’ll keep in contact with Bathurst members via the Bathurst website.We can’t predict when the restrictions in place will be lifted.

We plan on issuing a Term 3 newsletter prior to the commencement of the Term. This will be around mid-July 2020. By this time hopefully the current restrictions re close association (as happens in our class-context) will be relaxed.

The Bathurst U3A Committee is planning the resumption of Classes in Term 3, unless advised otherwise.

U3A 2020DATES TO REMEMBER

U3A Newsletter | term 2 2020

CLASSES NOT RUNNINg ThIS TERM• Monday Morning Show • Armchair Travel • Spanish for Beginners

TERM 2 CLASSES ARE CANCELLED

HELPING US TO HELP YOUOften our Facilitators start out the term with a very healthy number of members enrolled.

But after Week 1 o r Week 2 the numbers attending level out. It is good manners to notifythe Facilitators if you are no longer able to continue with the course.

I overcommitted regarding courses I enrolled in.

Illness prevented me continuing

The course wasn’t what I was expecting

Other

Please return this survey to:The SecretaryPO Box 1332Bathurst NSW 2795

Vale - Bathurst U3A member Judith Johnson (former Bathurst Committee Secretary).

U3A Newsletter | term 2 2020

TERM 2 CLASSES ARE CANCELLED

IN TIMES OF ADvERSITy Courtesy of Steve Motions, member of the U3A Southlakes Branch

We had a crisis in a place where nothing, except crime, really worked effectively from the Government down. However, amazingly this fear seemed to pull everyone together.

Life in Lagos was a roller coaster, lot of highs and lot of lows, but most of the locals we encountered were beautiful, kind people. How blessed we were to have had this experience. One of the greatest gifts from this is that we can now better appreciate many things we previously took for granted. Given our adventures, the following pointers may assist you as we face our current challenge or rather opportunity.

The Western African Ebola virus epidemic (2013–2016) was the most widespread outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history. Worldwide, 28,646 people were infected and 11,323 died.

In 2011, Eileen and I were transferred from northern Alberta, Canada to Lagos, Nigeria where I took up the posting of Audit Division Manager for my employer’s African operations. Life was very different in a city with over 20 million people, most facing hardships that were unimaginable (e.g. no running water, sanitation or proper drainage) and foreign to us. We lived in a gated compound with armed security, together with over 40 other expatriate families, in what was deemed as the safest part of town. To get from the airport to our compound (~25Km) we travelled in an armed convoy (led and chase configuration) with the trip taking from 1.5 hours to sometimes more than 3 hours, no toilets breaks allowed. Daily we would average around 10 power outages of varying lengths and internet was very intermittent.

Each family had a company vehicle and an experienced driver (by the way, our driver who lived a fair way away only had power for about 2 hours daily, generally from midnight to 2 or 3 am). Daniel was a beautiful big man, a definite advantage in our new environment, he was our rock. While living just under a kilometre from my office, I had to be driven along the potholed dirt road (wasn’t allowed to walk) that could take up to an hour depending on the time of day. I’m thinking you are now getting the picture, life was not always a bowl of roses.

On 20th July 2014, a Liberian man with Ebola virus arrived by plane to Lagos. He died 5 days later. His arrival set off a chain that infected 19 people of whom 7 died. Given the difficult environment, everyone (including us) was very frightened. Here we had a crisis in a place where nothing, except crime, really worked effectively from the Government down. However, amazingly this fear seemed to pull everyone together.

The Government, working in close liaison with the big companies, mine included, quickly introduced very strict measures, controls and curfews. The people fell into line and I believe a huge disaster was averted. Ebola has an incubation period of up to 21 days. Nigeria would be declared Ebola free if there were no new cases identified for a period of 42 days. This occurred on 20th October 2014, we left on 14th September 2014 for my next posting based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

U3A Newsletter | term 2 2020

TERM 2 CLASSES ARE CANCELLED

• Fear is natural but don’t panic, it increases stress and clouds rational thinking. Accept this, think of a silver lining and move forward.

• Heed the advice of Regulatory Authorities. They know better than us (although some soothsayers out there may argue this point) and they will be the ones with the best grasp of the bigger picture. They will coordinate and implement the necessary policy, steps, assistance and restrictions to get us through.

• The crisis will pass. No one knows how long it will take and forecasts of up to 6 months are stressful and frightening. Break up your time by segmenting it into manageable lengths, this may vary from person to person, but as a suggestion 2 weeks may be a good choice as this aligns with the current self-isolation guideline.

• Plan your time. Think of pleasant and enjoyable activities or distractions and use these as a reward for doing those tasks you deem as boring. You have plenty of time so don’t squeeze too much in daily, give yourself enough time, there is always tomorrow.

• Communication is paramount. As physical movement may become increasingly restricted, make use of the phone and internet. Keep close contact with family, friends and some of the branches’ U3A members. Conversation with others can work wonders as sometimes our mind can play

silly little tricks on us and we just need to be reminded we are all in the same boat and together we can conquer anything.

• Choose your News Media exposure wisely. Try and avoid too much focus on items dwelling on sensationalism and emotional commentary, it is quite often only relevant to a very small microcosm and more aimed at boosting viewer ratings rather than disseminating a balanced assessment.

• An Opportunity to better appreciate life. We live in a wonderful world and can take a lot of things for granted. Use this period to reflect on how going forward we may become a little more tolerant and appreciative of what we have.

• Don’t forget to Exercise. Outside if possible, even if is only walking around the perimeter of your home or sitting in your favour chair and moving your legs and arms. It’s both physically and mentally rewarding. If you can enjoy our beautiful environment while working out, then even better.

• Don’t place all your eggs (options) in the “electronic” basket. “Spread your risk and have diversity in your option portfolio (metaphorically speaking)”. If the internet slows or goes down for a time have some non-electronic options to pursue.

2020 BAThURST U3A COMMITTEEPresident Irene Hancock 0412 003 438 president@bathurst.u3a.comVice President Jenny Barnes 0412 184 010 vicepresident@bathurstu3a.com Secretary Lynette Vidler 0422 829 921 secretary@bathurstu3a.comTreasurer Miriam Ledger 0412 265 159 treasurer@bathurstu3a.comProgramme Coordinator Allison Aspden 6332 3036 programmecoordinator@bathurstu3a.com & Social ConvenorEnrolment Officer Sally Fulton 6331 5760 enrolmentofficer@bathurstu3a.comVenue Coordinator Andrew Wells 0419 229 930 venuecoordinator@bathurstu3a.comPublicity Officer Peter Winter 6332 4064 publicityofficer@bathurstu3a.comNewsletter Editor Vacant – –Equipment Officer Bill Deeley 0417 065 336 equipmentofficer@bathurstu3a.comGeneral Committee Member VacantWebsite & Database Administrator Greg Vinall – webadmin@bathurstu3a.com

IN A TIME OF DISTANCE by Alexander McCall Smith(as proscribed in these months of the Coronavirus pandemic)

U3A Newsletter | term 2 2020

The unexpected always happens in the wayThe unexpected has always occurred:While we are doing something else,While we are thinking of altogetherDifferent things – matters that eventsThen show to be every bit as unimportantAs our human concerns so often are;And then, with the unexpected upon us,We look at one another with a sort of surprise;how could things possibly turn out this wayWhen we are so competent, so pleasedWith the elaborate systems we’ve created –Networks and satellites, intelligent machines,Pills for every eventuality – except this one?

And so we turn again to face one anotherAnd discover those thingsWe had almost forgotten,But that, mercifully, are still there:Love and friendship, not just for thoseTo whom we are closest, but also for thoseWhom we do not know and of whomPerhaps we have in the past been frightened;The words brother and sister, powerful still,Are brought out, dusted down,Found to be still capable of expressing

What we feel for others, that precise concern;Joined together in adversityWe discover things we had put aside:Old board games with obscure rules,Books we had been meaning to read,Letters we had intended to write,Things we had thought we might sayBut for which we never found the time;And from these discoveries of self, of time,There comes a new realisationThat we have been in too much of hurry,That we have misused our fragile world,That we have forgotten the claims of othersWho have been left behind;We find that out in our seclusion,In our silence, we commit ourselves afresh,We look for a few bars of songThat we used to sing together,A long time ago; we give what we can,We wait, knowing that when this is overA lot of us – not all perhaps – but most,Will be slightly different people,And our world, though diminished,Will be much bigger, its beauty revealed afresh.